Many desert plants have adapted to a very harsh environment. They have to contend with temperatures up to 150°F, as well as with very little water. Salty soil doesn’t help. The desert willow is such a plant. It has adapted to life in the desert. The bright flowers it provides are a surprise to many people.
Technically the Desert Willow isn’t a willow. In reality it’s part of the Begonia family. In fact, it’s the only type of Bigonia that grows in California. These plants also grow in northern Mexico and southwestern Texas. If makes its home in the Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts.
It’s a big plant. The trunk can be as much as 6 inches thick. It’s also quite long – reaching up to 25 feet. Leaves grow as long as 6 inches with sharp spines at the ends. Their flowers can be up to 2 inches long. Cigar like fruit can reach 8 inches long. They contain seeds with little wings that help them spread when they fall from the plant or are blown by the wind.
Roots of the Desert Willow reach deep into the ground to pull water from the water table. If they flower, it’s a sure sign water can’t be far. That’s means some digging will probably produce moisture. It does not produce flowers when conditions are dry. A desert wanderer can look for these flowers to find water. Don’t look for a Desert Willow in the ultra-dry deserts like the Atacama Desert where water is really scarce.
The Desert Willow also has another name, Mimbre. The Mimbre, a Spanish name meaning willow-like, is sometimes used to make a tea. Tea comes from the seed pods and dried flowers. People make fence posts out of the trunks. It’s a plant with many uses for people.
A willow that’s not a willow, a desert plant that only grows when there is abundant water. The Desert Willow isn’t the standard plant found in this type of environment.
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